Getty Ravens RB JK Dobbins reacts to carrying the ball in a regular season game on October 02, 2022.
The Baltimore Ravens are as slated to be without their starting quarterback in Week 14 when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers after head coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Friday, December 9, that “it looks like it’s going to be Tyler [Huntley] on Sunday” in place of Lamar Jackson who missed the entire week of practice with a knee injury.
While they are expected to have a different signal caller under center against their archrivals for the pivotal road AFC North matchup, according to ESPN Insiders Adam Schefter and Field Yates, the Ravens are in line to have their top running back and star free safety return to the starting lineup.
Ravens are waiving veteran RB Mike Davis, paving the way for the team to activate RB J.K. Dobbins off injured reserve today, per sources.
The Ravens have now officially activated RB JK Dobbins and S Marcus Williams from IR to the 53-man roster.
Two impact players back in the fold for a huge game against Pittsburgh.
After being designated to return from injured reserve and resuming practicing, both JK Dobbins and Marus Williams have been officially activated and are cleared to play against the Steelers. To make room for them, the team waived veteran running back Mike Davis and placed veteran cornerback Daryl Worley on injured reserve according to the Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.
Dobbins has been out since Week 7 and was placed on injured reserve after electing to have an arthroscopic knee procedure to clean up some scar tissue from the major injury that cost him all of last season. He has only played in 4 games this year but has been impactful when healthy with 162 scrimmage yards and a pair of touchdowns on 41 total touches in limited action upon his initial return.
In case you thought we were kidding, @Jkdobbins22 does it again❗️❗️
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His workload will likely be light to start off in his first game or two back but he has the potential to be a dangerous difference-maker down the stretch for a Ravens offense that is currently struggling. Davis was signed on May 10, 2022, as a veteran insurance policy since both Dobbins and Gus Edwards were recovering from major knee surgery.
Williams has missed the last seven games after suffering a dislocated wrist in Week 5. He was the Ravens’ prized free-agent acquisition this offseason after signing a five-year deal worth $70 million back in March. Prior to his untimely injury, he was already outperforming his contract with three interceptions, five pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in the first five games of the season.
Yeah, that’s a pick.
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The Ravens also made a pair of practice squad elevations to provide depth by calling up undrafted rookie Anthony Brown and second-year pro Ar’Darius Washington for this week’s game against the Steelers. Brown will serve as the backup quarterback behind Huntley with Jackson listed as doubtful to play while Washington will play on special teams and possibly a handful of reps at nickel corner
Top 3 Ravens Storylines for Week 14 vs. Steelers
Will the losing streak come to an end?
The Ravens haven’t beaten the Steelers in over 1000 days and have been swept in each of the last two seasons. In order to remain undefeated in the division and stay in front of the surging Cincinnati Bengals, that losing skid will need to come to an end. The players and coaches alike are highly motivated to ensure that it does happen and even though the faces of the rivalry have changed over the years, the bad blood, intensity, and mutual respect haven’t dissipated.
Justin Tucker is on the precipice of making history
The five-time First-Team All-Pro kicker is a pair of extra points or just one field goal away from surpassing franchise legend, Matt Stover, as the Ravens’ all-time leader in points scored. Stover currently holds the record at 1,464 and Tucker is just one behind at 1,463. He will have more than likely surpassed or at least tied the record by halftime. Tucker’s Hall of Fame resume already includes being the most accurate kicker in NFL history with a career field goal percentage of 90.9 and holding the record for the longest field goal in league history thanks to a 66-yarder he successfully made
Veteran WR playing with “extra motivation”
While this game is expected to be a low-scoring affair that is more likely to be a defensive slugfest than an offensive shootout, Ravens’ wide receiver DeSean Jackson who is playing in his first Ravens-Steelers rivalry game will be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. The three-time was officially signed to the 53-man roster earlier in the week from the practice after having all three of his standard practice squad elevations used.
On the most recent episode of ‘The Lounge’ Podcast, he said that the Steelers were one of the teams that he was in talks with about potentially signing during the offseason but that they never brought him in like Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said he would. Now he has a prime opportunity to show them what they were missing out on and will be even more determined to make a big play against a defense that has been susceptible to giving up the deep ball this season. Jackson has averaged 20 yards a catch on the five receptions that he has made in the three games he’s been active for.
Key Ravens Matchups for Week 14 vs. Steelers
Ravens O-line v. Steelers Pass Rush
Even though Pittsburgh ranks in the bottom half of the league in sacks as a team and 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt, has just 1.5 in five games this season, they are still capable of being consistently disruptive. Steelers’ third-year outside linebacker is quietly having a career year and is tied for the fifth most sacks in the league with a career-high 10 in 12 games to go along with four forced fumbles.
Thankfully, the Ravens are slated to have All-Pro left tackle, Ronnie Stanley, back in the lineup after was removed from the final injury report on Friday. After giving up four sacks to the Broncos last week including one that cost them their MVP quarterback, the unit will be looking to bounce back and have a strong game in both pass protection as well as run blocking. Hopefully, having their best player back will help them improve in both areas this week although they will be without veteran starting right guard Kevin Zeitler.
Ravens D-line v. Steelers O-line
This game will likely be decided and won in the trenches and Baltimore’s defensive line has been dominant all season long with the way they can stifle opposing running games, blow up plays in the backfield, and consistently harass quarterbacks off the edge as well as up the middle. The Ravens rank fifth in the league in team sacks with 37 according to Pro Football Reference and will be going up against a Steelers offensive line that has shown some signs of improvement as of late but is tied for the seventh most sacks given up on the year with 32. Expect big games from the likes of Calais Campbell, Justin Houston, Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington, Jason Pierre-Paul, Tyus Bowser, and Odafe Oweh.
Kyle Hamilton v Pat Freiermuth
The Ravens’ top overall pick this year will likely be the one shadowing the Steelers’ stud tight end who happens to also be their leading receiver with 597 yards on the year. Hamilton will have his hands full with Freiermuth but he is literally built for the job and has been shining the hybrid nickel/safety/dime/outside linebacker role. He has especially excelled when it comes to guarding tight ends so if he’s able to neutralize Freiermuth, that will be one less weapon that Kenny Picket can throw to as often.
Minkah Fitzpatrick v Tyler Huntley
The Steelers have always made it a focus to try to take away All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews when these two teams face off so Huntley likely won’t be able to force it to him without putting the ball at risk. Fitzpatrick is a two-time First-Team All-Pro who is one of the best ball hawks in the league and is capable of capitalizing on the errors of quarterbacks by turning errant or ill-advised passes into turnovers. He is currently tied for the third most interceptions in the league so Huntley will need to avoid taking the bait and play a clean game in order to give his team the best chance to succeed.
Marcus Williams v Kenny Pickett
On the opposite side of the ball for both teams, the Ravens will have their own instinctive ball-hawking safety going up against a rookie quarterback that has avoided turnovers as of late but can be forced into making mistakes by pressure and disguised coverage looks. Williams will be looking to make his presence felt early and often in his first game back and what better way than to make a splash play for a clutch turnover or two in his Ravens-Steelers debut.
Roquan Smith v Najee Harris
The Ravens’ midseason trade acquisition has been every bit as impactful as advertised since arriving in Baltimore. His impact on the defense as a whole has been seismic and he will be tasked with helping to neutralize one of the Steelers’ top offensive weapons in this game. Harris leads Pittsburgh in both rushing and total scrimmage yards and will be seeing a lot of Smith at and behind the line of scrimmage as well in the open field in space.
Since the Roquan Smith trade, the Ravens’ defense ranks:
⚫️ 3rd in PFF grading (77.0)
🟣 3rd in EPA/play (-0.171)
⚫️ 2nd in PPG (13.3)
🟣 2nd in YPG (263.0)
⚫️ 1st in 3rd down success rate (25.0%)
Marlon Humprey v George Pickens
The two Hoover, Alabama natives will be facing off for the first time at any level as the Ravens All-Pro cornerback will likely be seeing a lot of the Steelers standout rookie wide receiver. Both players are known for their physicality and it should be one of the top one-on-one battles to watch in this game. According to Pro Football Focus, Humphrey hasn’t allowed a touchdown, and his 447 coverage snaps without giving up a score are the most in the league.
Most coverage snaps without allowing a TD this season:
Marlon Humphrey – 447 ❌
